Illuminated license plal e



E. McGAHVIN.

ILLUMINATED LlCENSE PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 18. 1.921.

Patented May 23, 1922.

IN VEN TOR.

ATT EY.

UNITED STATES EDGAR MCGARVIN, 011 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE.

Application filed January 18, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR McGARvrN. a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Illuminated License Plates, of which the following is a specifica (ion This invention is an illuminated license plate, such as are used upon motor vehicles, and has for its object the provision of a simplified construction including a lamp box containing illuminating means and removable number plates supported in the open front of the lamp box. By this arrangement any desired combination of digits may be displayed by the license plate so as to form a desired license number. The illuminated number plates are so arranged as to present readily discernible numbers in the day time and to also display an illuminated number at night.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a license plate constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 22 and 3-3 of Fi 1.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in the drawings, the improved license plate is shown as comprising a casin preferably, formed of metal and including a back 1 transversely curved and a top and bottom 2 and 3. The front of this casing is open and frame is formed around said open front including a base rail l, side rails 5 and a top rail 6 hinged at one end as shown at 7 to one of the side rails and adapted. when swung downwardly, to rest against the opposite side rail and be secured thereto as by the screw 8.

Partitions 9 extend upwardly from base rail 4 in transversely spaced relation so as to form spaces 10 in which are received the respective number elements. The partitions are vertically grooved upon their sides as shown at 11 and the side rails 5 are similarly grooved as shown at 11. The number ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Serial No. 438,178.

ments are mounted in the grooves, the top rail 6 having been previously swung upwardly, and the top rail is then moved to its closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to retain the number elements in position at the front of the casing.

The number elements, preferably, include transparent plates 12 of glass or the like which may be colored red, and suitable illuminating means shown as an incandencent lamp 13 is arranged in the lamp casing as by being supported by the transversely curved back of the casing so that the light from said lamp will shine through the transparent plates.

Non-transparent number plates 14: are slidably mounted in the grooves of the frame so as to overlie the transparent plates 12, and these number plates are provided with openings 15 which are formed as digits or other desired number elements. such as letters.

It will be understood that the cover plates will be Formed with any desired digits or other number elements so that any combination of the same may be arranged in the license plate, and since the cover plates are readily removable from their grooves by simply swinging top rail 6 upwardly, it will be noted that any desired license number may be readily assembled in the license plate frame.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. 1

ll hat is claimed is:

An illuminated license plate comprising a casing, a frame sustained on the casing and including grooved side and top rails, the top rail being hingedly supported on one of the side rails to occupy open and closed positions, means on the side rail for locking the top rail in closed position, upstanding partitions secured at regularly spaced intervals on the bottom rail of said frame and having their vertical edges formed with grooves, and color and number plates slidably fitted in the grooves of said partitions and adapted to be secured therein by said top rail.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDGAR MGGARVIN. 

